Combined ice tank bracing frame and ice hopper for refrigerator cars



May 16, 1950 Filed Feb. 28, 1948 H. A. GLENN' E1- Al. 2,508,248 COMBINED ICE TANK BRACING FRAME AND ICE HOPPER FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1- May 16, 1950 H. A. GLENN ET AL. 2,508,248

COMBINED ICE TANK BRACING FRAME AND ICE HOPPER FOR REF RIGERATOR. CARS Filed Feb. 28, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JNVENTORS.

Patented May 16, 1950 COMBINED gICEI TANK BRACING 1);.

ICEiHOPP-ER FOR" REFRIGERATOR CARS Howardy A.Glenn,. Oak Parlgand J ack K. Dromgold, Chicago, Ill.

Application February 28, 1948, Serial No'.\12,-0741" the description is read in connectionwith the accompanying drawings showing the preferred. embodiment of the inventiomin which:

Fig. i1 is a cross section of the'fupper portion of a refrigerator-car through the brine-tanks show'- ing the improved -tankbracing trame and ice` hoppers embodying theinvention in heavy lines;

13 Claims. (Cl. 62,-19)

Fig-2 is aninverted plan view looking upwardly at the bracing, frame in Fig'.f1;`I

Fig. 3 is a perspective view'ofan, article of manufacture composed of theimprovedbracing frame and ice hoppers; and

Fg,g4 `is a transverse section takenv on the line 4 4V of Fig, `1:

In Fig. 1,l III indicates generally the sidewall and' II the roof of'a refrigerator car equippedv withhatchwaysV I2. .at Aeachjjsid'e. of a running board I3 and communicating With four brine tanks `III .grouped crosswiseto the end portionof a car.

The bracing frame` for the tanks includes spaced `their vertical angesextending downwardly-.in-

side; ot vthe 11p-per enolsof` the tanks III..adjace nt totheside walls thereotas. bestshownzin Fig. 1.

As bestfshownpin Figs. 3 and 4, the vertical iianges; arecut away Aonfan incline,A and the ends Y of thehorizontalganges of the. anglesv I6, I1 and-` I 8; areywelded togthe inner edges of the.v horizontal gusset plates 22, whichextend across the flanges; 2 Iffrand; va suitable length along-the top Hof the adjoining. cross. pieces.` l

Thethopperf or '.hoppers. in this; preferred .i f crm..

include spaced'i side. -platesrl and.;-2Il:'Jextending i crosswise to the car along the inner edges of thea bars I 5.and inclining. outwardly and. upwardly, asbest shownin Fig.. 4. They are .connectedat their endsfwhichare cut tocorrespond,within?.v wardly andupwardly inclined' plates 26 and.-2.'I. The intermediate vportions .ofthe,plates 24..and. 2 5` are connected by-upwardly -andputwardly inclined plates 28- andv 29.-, As here.=shownthe plates 24 .and -25 areinotched .tofitover-the; crossbars I? and I8,-and are welded to. both-the=hori` zontal and the Vertical flanges of thoseybars.y

The end `plates 26-and.-2.1 have vertical `portions or flanges 3 I 4lying along the inside ofthe vertical.l angles I of the Ibars. I 6a and Welded.4 thereto. The-- lower edges of the plates-Zfand Ztl-havesimilan vertical portionsor yflanges- 32, which-are. along-- side of 'and Weldedl tothe-vertical ilanges- 20 of` thescrossbars Il.V The-lower edges of thevpl-ates-V 2t v:and v2 5^ may also be welded .along the innen: edges ofjthe horizontal4 flanges of th'ev'bars I 5.,@ or otherwise made to .jointhem tightlyV As here shown, the bars I'I and I8 are made.A of anglesl gwith their horizontal flanges` welded together tor form channels,j and'ractualgi channel; sections of corresponding wdth.m ay beg-used. instead.` Y

Thehorizontalanges of tht-:sendl crossbars .I6i' are provided with openings.` 351 by `which the conn bined bracing frame and ice; hopper may'berseoured to the `,side walls of'. the ,car,;inl this, illusiey tration by bolting tothe angles 365;:

The .actual design and 'construction of refrigff erator4 cars Varies greatlyrv (Car:Builders=.Cyc1og pedia, 1937, p. 167), and the-generalillustration here shown Lis merely forthe `purpose. of sho-wing the atmosphere in which the improvements findtheir greatest'use; However, iti' shouldfbefem-f. phasizedy that those improvements are especially. suited for steel car construction.

The vmanner of assembly with the car and fthe.. brine tanks will vary with'personalpreference and conditions, but asuitable proceduresisetoemplace thev commercial V4unitssubstantiallymas-v illustrated in Fig. 3 within-the car in theposition shown-in Fig;4 1 and make it fastp Thenpthe. brine tanks Vare-brought upwardly -=into-inter locked position with the bracing frame and seated on the support, which isrordina'rily composed lof two' angles (not shown) with-their horizontal flanges turned toward each otherwandv receiving-.1 thefbottoms ofthe tanks.

Attention is particularly `drawn to theinterr` locking arrangement. between :the bracing. frame,.- andlthe lupper endssof thetanks, .wherebythea verticalr angles. of; .thegfbars +I 5.' secure ftheuupper.;

3 ends of the tanks against moving fore and aft, and the vertical flanges of the other bars IB, l1, and I8 hold the tanks against movement crosswise to the car. The lower and delivery ends of the hoppers formed by the plates 24, 25, 26, 21, 28, and 29 are tightly sealed to the frame, and the relation between the vertical flanges of the bars of the frame and the upper ends of the tanks make a goo-d seal with the tanks. The upper edges of the hoppers formed by the plates 24, 25,

26, 21, and 28 t nicely over the lower edges 39 of the hatchway liners 40. This neat fitting makes an effective seal for the cold air within the car, and there is no escape during the icing operations when the hatchways are open, except the small area exposed through the hatchways.

Attention is also particularly invited to the ample and convenient passageway for the ice formed by the hoppers from the hatchways into the intermediate tanks as well as the outside tanks.

The tanks can be readily removed and replaced from below, and when removed the combined bracing frame and hoppers may be removed and replaced. Ordinarily, the end roong section is the last to go on the car, and the final arrangement of the insulation beneath it is conveniently made just before that section is put on.

The insulation has been purposely omitted, in the interest of clearness of the drawing.

We claim:

1. In a refrigerator car having ice tanks and hatches therefor, a bracing frame adapted to extend crosswise to the car and beneath the hatches and including spaced bars adapted to hold the tanks against movement lengthwise to the car, and other spaced bars spanning the rst mentioned lbars, secured thereto, and adapted to hold the tanks against movement crosswise to the car,

and a hopper supported on said frame for communication with the hatches and with the ice tanks.

2. In a refrigerator car having ice tanks and hatches therefor, a bracing frame adapted to extend crosswise to the car and beneath the hatches and including spaced bars having vern tical flanges adapted to hold the tanks against movement lengthwise to the car, and other bars spanning the rst mentioned bars, secured thereto, and having vertical flanges adapted to hold the tanks against movement crosswise to the car, and a hopper supported on said frame and communicating at its top with the hatches and at its bottom with the tops of the tanks.

3. In a refrigerator car having ice tanks, a bracing frame adapted to extend crosswise to the car and .beneath the hatches and including spaced bars adapted'to hold the tanks against movement lengthwise to the car, other spaced bars spanning the rst mentioned bars, secured thereto, and adapted to hold the tanks against movement crosswise to the car, and a hopper for the tanks including inclined plates secured to the frame along the first mentioned bars and other inclined plates secured to the rst mentioned inclined plates and to some of the other spaced bars.

4. In a refrigerator car having ice tanks, a bracing frame adapted to extend crosswise to the car and beneath the hatches and including spaced bars having vertical flanges adapted to hold the tanks against movement lengthwise to the car and other bars spanning the first mentioned bars,

secured thereto, and having vertical nanges adapted to hold the tanks against movement tanks having open tops spaced below and in regcrosswise to the car, and a hopper for the tanks including inclined plates secured to the frame along the first mentioned bars and other inclined plates secured to the first mentioned inclined plates and to some of the other spaced bars.

5. In a hopper for refrigerator cars having ice tanks and hatches therefor, spaced outwardly and upwardly inclined sheets adapted to extend crosswise to the car below the hatches and above the ice tanks, inwardly and upwardly inclined plates Connecting the end portions of the first mentioned plates, and outwardly and upwardly inclined plates connecting the intermediate portions of the first mentioned plates and means for supporting the hopper upon a car independently of the ice tanks.

6. In a hopper for refrigerator car tanks, a bracing frame adapted to extend crosswise of a car and including spaced longitudinal bars and other spaced bars spanning the first mentioned bars and secured thereto, the bars of the frame being adapted to engage ice tanks and hold them against movement in said car, upstanding hopper sides rising from the longitudinal frame bars and upstanding hopper plates extending between the longitudinal hopper sides and secured thereto and to cross bars.

7. A combined ice tank :bracing frame and ice hopper for refrigerator cars, said frame including substantially parallel bars spaced to engage the front and rear walls of a set of ice tanks to hold them against movement in opposite directions, spaced cross :bars spanning the space between and secured to the rst mentioned bars and disposed to engage opposite side walls of the tanks to hold them against movement in opposite directions, and a hopper secured to and rising from the bracing frame.

8. A combined ice tank bracing frame and ice hopper for refrigerator cars, comprising a horizontal bracing frame including substantially parallel bars provided with depending flanges spaced to engage upright walls of ice tanks at the top thereof, cross `bars spanning the space between the longitudinal bars Vand connected thereto and having depending flanges to engage other side Walls of ice tanks at the top thereof, said flanges constituting means to prevent lateral movement of ice tanks at right angles to one another, and a hopper having walls secured to and rising from the longitudinal bars, and other hopper walls rising from and secured to cross bars and also secured to the first mentioned walls.

9. A combined ice tank bracing frame and ice hopper for refrigerator cars, comprising a horizontal .bracing frame made up of spaced 1ongitudinal angle bars with Corresponding flanges depending therefrom, cross bars extending between and connected to corresponding ends of the longitudinal bars, channel bars extending between and connected to the longitudinal bars with flanges depending from the backs of the channel bars, and a hopper comprising opposite longitudinal side walls rising from and secured to the longitudinal bars, opposite end walls rising from the endV cross bars and secured to the end portions of the longitudinal side bars, and intermediate walls risingl from and secured to opposite sides of one of the channel bars and also secured to the inner faces of the longitudinal walls, each intermediate wall and the adjacent end wall defining a hopper.

10. The combination with a refrigerator car having a pair of spaced hatches for the introduction of'ice therethrough, and a set of upright ice isti-ation with the hatches, of a combined ice tank bracing frame and ice hopper including spaced longitudinal bars extending transversely across the car beneath the hatches and terminally secured to parts of the car, end cross bars and intermediate Cross bars extending between and secured to the longitudinal bars, each frame bar having a depending flange lapping top portions of the upright side walls of an ice tank, and a pair of hoppers each comprising walls rising from and secured to .bar members of the bracing frame and rising to respective hatches.

1l. The combination with a refrigerator car having hatchways through the roof thereof and a series of ice tanks within the car and beneath the hatchways, of a frame supported on the car and provided with means closing the open tops of the spaces between the ice tanks, and hoppers supported on the frame and communicating at their tops with the respective hatchways and at their bottoms with the respective ice tanks.

12. In a hopper for refrigerator car tanks, spaced outwardly and inclined sheets adapted to extend crosswise of the car below the hatches and above the ice tanks, inwardly and upwardly inclined plates connecting the end portions of the iirst mentioned sheets, outwardly and upwardly inclined plates connecting the interme- 6 dlate portions 0f the rst mentioned plates, and means `for supporting the hopper at the longitudinal sides of the car independently of the ice tanks.

13. As a new article of manufacture, a hopper for connecting the hatchway of a refrigerator car with an ice tank, comprising a supporting frame having means for supporting the frame on a car independently of the ice tanks, and a hopper carried by the trame independently of the ice tank and open at its top and bottom for registration respectively with the bottom of a hatchway and the top of an ice tank.

HOWARD A. GLENN. JACK K. DROMGOLD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,802,465 Gaebler Apr. 28, 1931 1,820,641 Yoder Aug. 25, 1931 1,837,613 Gilbreth Dec. 22, 1931 2,085,906 Glenn July 6, 1937 2,260,503 Zeidler Oct. 28, 1941 2,296,899 Bonsall Sept. 29, 1942 

